‘Game of Thrones’ Recap: ‘What Is Dead May Never Die’

NOTE: we’re going to try something to decrease the number of spoilers in the comments section, or at least contain them. When this post goes live, I’m going to start a thread called, “SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER.” If you have a comment that mentions the words “book” or “in a few episodes” or make reference to anything that hasn’t happened on the show yet, use that thread. It’ll be the one at the BOTTOM. If you post out of said thread with a comment that could be (and will be) construed as a spoiler, you’re banned. Deal? Deal.

There are two key scenes in “What Is Dead May Never Die,” the best episode of “Game of Thrones” so far this season, and both involve Tyrion, the very small man who casts a very large shadow, to paraphrase Varys. In the first, the King’s Hand tells three different plots to three different men (the Spider, Littlefinger, and Maester Pycelle), to see which one of his fake plans gets back to Cersei. It’s a brilliant strategy of finding out who he can trust in King’s Landing – or at least not completely distrust – and after he discovers it’s Pycelle who blabs, Tyrion sends the beardless rat to the Black Cell.

The second comes after Varys poses a riddle to Tyrion, about who a sellsword would side with if a king, a priest, and rich man, all with gold, told him to kill the other two. After Tyrion unsatisfactorily answers, the eunuch says, “Power resides where men believe it resides. It’s a trick, a shadow on the wall.” The five men fighting for power at the center of everything each believe that they’re the REAL king, and their task is to trick others, like Theon Greyjoy, into believing the same thing. It’s only if they play the game well enough, with behind the scenes assistance from people like Tyrion, will they win.

The wheels of power were spinning in “What Is Dead May Never Die,” and it feels like the season has REALLY begun. Bullet points below and GIFs after the jump.

HODOR.

When Lady Brienne of Tarth (but don’t call her that) was wearing her armor, she looked like Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The actor who plays Renly is doing the right amount of overemoting for such a ridiculous character.

“My son is fighting a war, not playing at one.” CAT BURN.

Spend enough time with the Lannisters, and you too will become a jerk, as we saw with Sansa. Though, to her credit, Shae is a terrible handmaiden.

This Week in Tyrion’s Poopless Quest: Six days without pooping??? That can’t be good. Thus ends This Week in Tyrion’s Poopless Quest.

The Queen Mustn’t Know sounds like a Morrissey song.

Random question: when you see Aidan Gillen, do you think of Littlefinger or Tommy Carcetti first? (Or Stuart from “Queer as Folk,” I guess?) I’m still on Team Carcetti, but the gap is getting smaller.

Margaery knows how to play the game better than Renly. Baby=People Having Faith in You=Power.

I love how eager Bronn looked to cut Maester Pycelle’s balls and chain off. Also, line of the night: “There are no goats, half-man.”

Scratch that, the REAL line of the night was: “There’s men out there who want to f*ck your corpses.” Greatest battle charge ever. That scene was so good.

RIP Yoren. Once you delivered that monologue, you should have known your time was finished.